Recaps

Saine reunited with the Azure Blaze Sect and presented its members with rare divinities and Dominator's Blood from his travels and battles. As the gathering ended, his fellow sect members responded with gifts of their own, and the atmosphere grew warmer.

• Saine told Cuilisi and the other sect powerhouses about his travels and the Zerg and Tianming Empire's role in the Divine Descendant Star Region War.
• Saine gave Cuilisi, Gagaru, and Pinas fire-element divinities and shared Tianyang Venerable's Dominator's Blood with other sect members.
• Luluenman praised Saine's generosity and revealed that he had also given her Dominator's Blood and Life Mucus.
• Ailide accepted Saine's gift and returned a Level-4 Tunta Swan specimen, while Sylph gave Saine a wisp of special law flame.
• Gagaru, Pinas, and the others began offering return gifts, making the gathering more harmonious.

Saine returned gifts to his allies and agreed to teach the Azure Blaze Sect, then returned to Ash Fortress and reunited with its residents and his acquaintances. He learned how Lina’s soul bond with Mei Kaili had shaped her rise to Level 5 and stirred Mei Kaili’s feelings for him.

• Saine gave materials to his sect elders and received gifts in return, but asked Cuilisi to repay his gift with guidance on his research.
• Saine gave Beleka a piece of Tianyang Crystal to thank her for helping Lunna, Xia Ya, and their Knights’ Halls.
• Cuilisi asked Saine to lecture the Azure Blaze Sect’s other branches, and Saine agreed as practice for eventually choosing disciples.
• Saine returned to Ash Fortress, where Lina, Meili, Lunna, Xia Ya, and his other allies welcomed him.
• Saine reflected on Lina and Mei Kaili’s shared soul and memories, which had helped Lina advance to Level 5 and left Mei Kaili increasingly interested in him.

Saine returned to Ash Fortress and reunited with Lina before meeting Meili to hear about Ash Holy Tower’s growth and the Land of Ashes. He learned that Ulysses, Serena, and Irene had all failed major breakthroughs, and planned to visit his family.

• Mei Kaili asked Saine where he had obtained his rare magical materials, while Lina began examining the Death Crystal and Marduk's Subsidiary Divinity.
• Saine kissed Lina and left for the Tower Master's Office, where Meili reported Ash Holy Tower’s growth to more than thirty thousand registered magicians and discussed new Holy Towers and Knights' Halls in the Land of Ashes.
• Meili declined Saine’s offer to support her in establishing her own Holy Tower, saying she wanted to remain dean of Ash Holy Tower.
• Saine asked about the Grant Family and learned that Ulysses had failed two attempts to advance to Level 4.
• Meili told Saine that Serena and Irene had also failed to become demigods and now had extremely weak Soul Fires, prompting him to consider helping Ulysses and visiting his family.

Saine returned to his Tower Master's Office and faced the limits of what he could do for Irene and Serena, whose potential seemed to be running out. He reconnected with his allies and family, agreed to resume experiments and seek help for Nataya, and learned that Luna wanted to see him.

• Saine worried that Irene and Serena might not live long enough to advance, and resolved to visit them.
• Saine met with Lunna and Xia Ya, planned to restart their Body Tempering Experiments, and agreed to include Red Scales.
• Xia Ya asked Saine to find help for Nataya, who remained asleep, and Saine promised to seek a soul specialist after returning to Wizard World.
• Maya told Saine that Luna wanted to see him, and Saine invited her to bring Luna next time.
• After meeting his Rank Four and above allies, Saine returned to his chair, exhausted by their many ties and needs.

Saine spent time with his family before seeking Cuilisi’s guidance on reaching Level 6. Cuilisi showed him rare law flames to study and recognized the depth of his body-tempering research, while Saine offered to share his supreme-grade Blood Crystals with her and Gagaru.

• Saine promised Irene to look after her family and agreed to Serena’s request to keep a slight eye on her disciple Bunieka without giving her special treatment.
• Saine considered having a descendant and developed ideas through his Bloodline Studies, though Mel said she would consult ancient texts and her father before advising him.
• Saine visited Cuilisi at Azure Blaze Fortress and explained that reaching Level 6 involved transforming a domain into a field and integrating it into one’s strength and cells.
• Cuilisi described Saine’s path as studying and merging many kinds of law flames, then let him research the rare flames in her laboratory before she left for other battlefields.
• Saine shared his body-tempering research and supreme-grade Blood Crystals with Cuilisi, who praised his insights and said she and Gagaru would discuss a fair exchange.

Saine questioned Cuilisi about Fire Element Tempering and sought advice on forging a World-Class Secret Treasure Magic Staff, then visited Bai Xing at the Water Orchid Plane. Bai Xing told him that Tourmaline was safe and would soon return, while revealing that their mutual support had become known among her family.

• Saine asked Cuilisi about the Southern Bright Separating Fire, Nirvana Fire, and Violet Brake Thunder Fire, then sought her advice on forging a World-Class Secret Treasure Magic Staff.
• Over the next year and a half, Saine frequently visited Cuilisi’s laboratory and continued his experiments at Ash Fortress.
• Saine traveled to the Water Orchid Plane, where Mo Yan introduced him to several of his Dragon Beast relatives.
• Saine met Bai Xing, who told him that Tourmaline was safe and that people had been sent to bring her back from the Kersfolin Starfield battlefield.
• Bai Xing thanked Saine for saving Tourmaline and said their mutual support had moved her and become known to several of her uncles.

Saine accepted the Sea Heart Flame from Bai Xing and brought it to Cuilisi’s laboratory to investigate its unusual blend of water and fire laws. The chapter ended with Cuilisi assisting in his experiments, then hesitating to tell him what was on her mind.

• Bai Xing gave Saine the Sea Heart Flame, a rare flame that carried ocean laws and could dissolve into water.
• Saine thanked Bai Xing and offered to send her Life Potions after his mentor made them from Life Mucus.
• Saine left after telling Bai Xing that Tourmaline could visit him in the Wizard World if she returned there.
• Saine returned to the Ancient Wilderness Plane and began testing the Sea Heart Flame in Cuilisi’s laboratory.
• Cuilisi fetched an elemental stabilizer and helped Saine examine the flame and test its interaction with his Flames of Ash.
• Cuilisi tried twice to speak to Saine, but ultimately said nothing and let him continue his experiment.

Saine said goodbye to Cuilisi, Arthur, and the others as they departed for the Apocalypse Starfield, then set out for the Wizard World with Lina, Meili, Lunna, and Xia Ya. He planned to help the allied legions secure rest and resources after returning, and the Ash Fortress began its journey home.

• Arthur told Saine he was still hunting Ohm to reclaim the Sea King Crown, and Saine offered him help from their friends.
• Cuilisi departed after answering Saine's questions and leaving him access to her private laboratory.
• Luluenman distributed doses of Life Potion No. 7 to Saine, Cuilisi, Gagaru, and the others before their departure.
• Saine asked Cuilisi and the others to look after the Huya Legion, the Kryptonian Legion, and Gal Gadot's allied legions, and promised to seek rest and resource subsidies for them.
• Saine boarded the Ash Fortress with Lina, Meili, Lunna, and Xia Ya and ordered it to set course for the Wizard World.

On his return to the Wizard World, Saine reunited with the Ghost Crow King, whose strength had grown during the war, and discussed its recent missions. Saine arranged a Soul Crystal trade and accepted an unclaimed Level-4 Heavenly Immortal corpse from the Ghost Crow King, then warned it to keep the corpse secret.

• Saine escorted Luluenman to her logistics base, where she ended her vacation early and said she would return to the Wizard World after saving up leave.
• Saine continued toward the Wizard World with Lunna and Xia Ya, considering the risks, contracts, and resources required for his Space Fortress experiments.
• In the Sano Lars Burner Star Region, Saine recognized the Level-6 Ghost Crow King, and they exchanged news about the war and the Ghost Crow King's missions.
• Saine comforted the Ghost Crow King about its conflict with an Immortal Domain cultivator and agreed to buy its Soul Crystals.
• The Ghost Crow King gave Saine the corpse of a Level-4 Heavenly Immortal it had found, and Saine took it and told the Ghost Crow King not to reveal it.

After returning to the Wizard World, Saine reviewed Ash Holy Tower’s development and resumed his research. As he reflected on his companions’ growth and considered making Little Seven his Soul Partner, Hal reported that a member of Saine’s family had come to visit.

• Saine docked the three Space Fortresses at Titan Star Port and returned to the Wizard World with his group.
• Saine sent Meili to rest and arranged to review the Holy Tower Academy’s progress, development funds, and personal finances.
• Six months later, Saine conducted a mechanology experiment with Wall-E and noted the promising potential of the Little Fox Girl, Luo, and Sha’er.
• Saine observed that Little Seven was aging and told it he would form a Soul Contract with it if it could not advance.
• Hal interrupted Saine’s experiment to report that a member of his family had arrived.

Saine received members of the Grant Family, including his father Kelman, and learned that his great-grandfather Ulysses was in poor condition after failing twice to advance to Level-4. Saine agreed to return with them to the Grant Family to help Ulysses.

• Saine left Wall-E to finish his experiment and went to the Holy Tower's top floor to meet the Grant Family delegation.
• Saine recognized his father, Kelman, and greeted the Grant Family Knights, giving the younger members low-level potions as encouragement.
• Kelman told Saine that Ulysses had failed twice to advance to Level-4, depleted much of his soul energy, and likely had only one attempt left.
• Saine checked his experimental plans, asked Little Fox Girl to fetch materials, and agreed to return to the Grant Family with Kelman and the others.

Saine returned to the Grant Family and visited the aging Reverse Feather Lion King, giving it weakened Blood Crystal Life Mixtures to restore some of its blood qi. He then entered Ulysses's secluded cultivation site to see his great-grandfather.

• Saine rode Little Seven back to the Grant Family, reminiscing about their first return together.
• Saine arrived at the Grant Family estate and canceled the welcoming banquet Jefferson Grant had planned.
• Saine went to Ulysses's secluded cultivation site and examined the aging Reverse Feather Lion King.
• Saine gave the Reverse Feather Lion King several weakened Blood Crystal Life Mixtures to help restore its blood qi essence.
• Saine entered Ulysses's stone cavern while the Reverse Feather Lion King swallowed the potions, test tubes and all.

Saine turned the Grant Family’s secluded cultivation grounds into a laboratory and spent months preparing bloodline modification and body-tempering experiments to help Ulysses and the Reverse Feather Lion King advance to Level Four. After Lina arrived and the experiments continued for two years, a lion’s roar and a powerful knightly fluctuation emerged, leaving their outcome uncertain.

• Saine met Ulysses in the Grant Family’s cavern and began preparing bloodline modification and body-tempering experiments, with the Reverse Feather Lion King set to participate.
• Saine converted the cultivation grounds into a temporary laboratory and collected blood from Grant Family knights and lions related to the Reverse Feather Lion King.
• Saine placed Ulysses and the Reverse Feather Lion King on laboratory tables and injected each with concentrated Bloodline Essence.
• Saine contacted Lina for help, and she arrived at the Grant Family’s forbidden artificial mountain grounds half a month later.
• After two years of experiments, a resounding lion’s roar and an oppressive knightly fluctuation emerged from the forbidden grounds.

Saine returned to the Ash Holy Tower and resumed his experiments while Ulysses and the Reverse Feather Lion King attempted to advance. He discovered an apparent Dominator's Eye in his collection just as Xiao Qi reported that both had reached Level 4.

• Saine and Lina left the Grant Family estate, while Xiao Qi stayed behind to monitor Ulysses and the Reverse Feather Lion King’s advancement.
• Back at the Ash Holy Tower, Saine resumed his experiments and discussed the Level 4 Bone Dragon Sanchez and other old allies with Lina.
• While cataloging his collections, Saine found an unfamiliar eyeball that he suspected belonged to a Dominator and learned from Aijieli that Tourmaline had left it there as a surprise.
• Xiao Qi reported that Ulysses and the Reverse Feather Lion King had both advanced to Level 4 after only seven years of seclusion.

Saine found the Dominator's Eye and began studying its power, unaware that Lina and Mei Kaili discussed using it to awaken Nataya rather than help him advance. The chapter ended with Lina agreeing to let Mei Kaili control their shared body for a while.

• Saine found a Dominator's Eye Tourmaline had given him and ordered it sent to No. 2 Laboratory for research.
• After Xiao Qi reported Ulysses and the Reverse Feather Lion King had reached Level 4, Saine prepared potions and guidance for them and sent Yuli to deliver them.
• Saine told Yuli to invite Ulysses to Ash Holy Tower about a Knights' Hall and offered to introduce the Reverse Feather Lion King to nearby Kings of Devil Beasts.
• While Saine was away, Mei Kaili told Lina the Dominator's Eye could awaken Nataya or even help Saine reach Level 6, but Lina believed Saine would use it for Nataya.
• Lina agreed to let Mei Kaili control their shared body for a while as Wall-E and Fumila watched them.

Saine paused his research into the Dominator’s Eye, deciding that advancing through his own efforts mattered more than using the Dominator Soul to reach Level 6 quickly. Twenty-three years after his return, Ash Holy Tower prepared for another Academy War, and Meili presented him with the promising apprentice Xi Make as a potential disciple.

• Saine realized that studying the Dominator Soul too deeply risked hindering his future progress, so he stored the Dominator’s Eye and left the choice between Lina and Nataya for later.
• Saine resumed his planned experiments and continued his recovery while Ash Holy Tower carried out its Wizard Civilization duties.
• Twenty-three years after Saine returned to the Wizard World, Ash Holy Tower prepared three hundred thousand apprentices for a Regional Holy Tower Academy War.
• Meili told Saine that Xi Make, the Hand of Ash, was a Despairer Apprentice and had attracted interest from several senior Magicians.
• Meili revealed that she had turned down requests to take Xi Make as a disciple so he could focus on the Academy War, then asked whether Saine wanted to teach him.

Saine agreed to secretly watch the six-Holy-Tower Academy War and consider taking a promising apprentice as his disciple. As the battle unfolded, he noticed a female apprentice hiding in Wood Thorn Grass and became interested in her.

• Saine told Meili he would observe the Academy War in secret and might take a suitable youngster as his disciple.
• Meili agreed to announce the war and raise the apprentice point rewards, while Saine increased her dean's allowance.
• Saine and visiting Holy Tower Masters Safoye and Bellerophon discussed his rapid progress and the possibility of taking apprentices from their towers.
• The six Holy Towers began their Academy War, and Saine observed that the apprentices fought in coordinated squads and legions.
• Saine watched the promising candidates Xi Make, Sophie, and Ocham without taking interest in them, then noticed a female apprentice covered in black ash hiding in Wood Thorn Grass.

Saine watched a female apprentice from the Sun Holy Tower of the Bairen Empire defeat most of an eleven-man squad through careful preparation and steady resolve. Her performance reminded Saine, Meili, and Lina of their younger selves as they continued observing the Academy War.

• The female apprentice concealed herself beneath Wood Thorn Grass and ambushed an eleven-man squad with carefully prepared magic traps.
• She forced the squad’s strongest Advanced Apprentice out of the Trial Space, then fought on despite an injured arm and nearly depleted magic power.
• The female apprentice drove back one low-level apprentice and killed two, while two members of the squad escaped.
• She fled without taking the fallen apprentices’ magic items, following a carefully rehearsed retreat route.
• Saine praised the female apprentice’s talents and told Meili that she reminded him of his former self.
• Meili and Lina watched the apprentice with Saine and agreed that she was impressive.

After the Academy War, Saine discussed the results with Safoye and proposed cooperation between their Holy Towers. He then sent Intelligent Angels and robot legions to test the top apprentices, while Meili explained that Catherine was a military-sponsored orphan whose recruitment would require permission from Sun Holy Tower and the Bairen Empire military.

• The two-year Academy War ended with Ash Holy Tower in first place, Dawn Holy Tower in second, and Sun Holy Tower unexpectedly in third, with no Despairer Apprentices of its own.
• Saine and Safoye discussed their Holy Towers' historical ties, and Saine and Safoye agreed to pursue future cooperation.
• Saine summoned twelve Intelligent Angels and ordered them, alongside more than a thousand robots, to test the top one hundred apprentices in the Final Trial.
• Meili told Saine that Catherine was an orphan sponsored by the Bairen Empire military and that taking her as a disciple would require approval from Sun Holy Tower and the military.

Saine decided to take the orphaned apprentice Catherine as his disciple and ordered Meili to bring her to Ash Holy Tower. Meanwhile, the apprentices in the Final Trial united against the Mechanical Legion, and Saine stopped watching after the Sun Holy Tower apprentice named Catherine inspired them to cooperate.

• Saine became interested in Catherine because her name reminded him of his mother and her orphaned background stirred a special feeling in him.
• The hundred apprentices faced a Mechanical Legion in the Final Trial, and Sophie and Xi Make struggled against the overwhelming force.
• An Advanced Female Apprentice from the Sun Holy Tower urged the apprentices to unite, and the Azure Sea Holy Tower apprentice agreed first.
• The apprentices from the Sun and Azure Sea Holy Towers organized the defense, prompting apprentices from the other Holy Towers to join them.
• Saine instructed Meili to bring Catherine to Ash Holy Tower and seek Wojin's help if the Bairen Empire resisted.
• Meili asked whether Saine had decided to make Catherine his disciple, and Saine confirmed that he believed she was worth cultivating.

Saine learned that Catherine had refused his offer to join Ash Holy Tower, despite Sun Holy Tower agreeing to transfer her contract. Catherine explained that she intended to honor her obligations to the academy, Sun Holy Tower, and the Bairen Empire, leaving her old mentor unable to change her mind.

• Meili told Saine that Catherine had refused to transfer to Ash Holy Tower, even though Dean Milady had agreed to the move without demanding payment.
• Catherine's family was killed by bandits when she was twelve, and she survived because her parents shielded her until city guards arrived.
• Catherine entered an Imperial Public Magic Academy through a policy for relatives of soldiers killed in battle and earned a place at Sun Holy Tower through her hard work and a teacher's recommendation.
• After the Regional Holy Tower Academy War, Catherine told her old mentor she would return to Lantesche City to teach for ten years as promised to the academy.
• Catherine refused to leave Sun Holy Tower, citing her contracts with Sun Holy Tower and the Bairen Empire and asking who would care for her elderly mentor.
• Catherine's mentor sighed after Catherine insisted that she would honor the contracts she had signed.

Saine observed Catherine’s determination to honor her contract and decided to respect her choice to remain at Sun Holy Tower until she fulfilled it. He thanked Tierci and Milady for their help, gave Milady a Life Potion for Magician Lanni, and left Catherine to continue her studies while he returned to his experiments.

• Saine listened to Catherine’s conversation with the old Level-2 magician and decided to let her finish her contract before he approached her again.
• Tierci praised Saine’s choice of disciple, and Saine thanked Tierci for resolving the military issues and helping with Catherine’s situation.
• Saine gave Milady law items and a Life Potion to pass to Magician Lanni in gratitude for her care of Catherine.
• Saine watched Catherine head to the training grounds to practice a spell from his book, Annotations on Fire Element Fission.
• Meili teased Saine about leaving Catherine at another Holy Tower, and Saine said he would let her develop freely before returning to guide her if needed.

After fifty years of research and study in Sky City, Saine raised his Arcanist rank to Level 5 but learned he needed to reach Level 6 to access more information about Dominator Omnipotent Souls. He welcomed two Level-4 Knights to the Land of Ashes, where they established new Knights' Halls and pledged cooperation with Ash Holy Tower.

• Saine studied Tianyang Venerable's Dominator's Blood and spent fifty years researching, while the Undead Archmage still did not arrive.
• Saine visited Sky City, resolved experimental questions, advanced to Level-5 Arcanist, and learned he needed Level 6 to access more Dominator Soul research.
• Saine received a reply to his Space Fortress order from Kapeiqi and the City of Steel.
• Saine welcomed Nova of the Bairen Empire and Verna of the South Coast after vetting their plans to establish Knights' Halls in the Land of Ashes.
• Nova named his hall the Force Dragon Knights' Hall, and Verna named his the Stream Knights' Hall.

Saine discussed the costs and plans involved in establishing new Knights' Halls and his own future projects with Meili, then set out for City of Steel. On the way, he visited powerful Devil Beast Kings and arranged for New Life Devil Beasts to be relocated to the Land of Ashes.

• Saine explained to Meili that new Level-4 leaders often borrowed thirty million Magic Coins to establish their organizations and cover their early expenses.
• Saine offered Meili fifty million Magic Coins to start a Holy Tower, but she declined and asked whether he would visit City of Steel or Kapeiqi first.
• Saine decided to visit City of Steel to pay for four approved Space Fortresses and discuss their designs, while considering a custom core fortress from Sky City's Heavy Industry Laboratory.
• Saine instructed Meili to have his prospective disciple work as an instructor at the Holy Tower Academy until he returned.
• Saine traveled alone toward City of Steel, stopping to visit Level-4 Kings of Devil Beasts in several forests, including the Sage's Forest.
• Moon White Tiger Milena agreed to have her subordinates gradually relocate New Life Devil Beasts to the Land of Ashes for Reverse Feather Lion King Simpson.

Saine traveled to the City of Steel with Milena to arrange four costly Thunder God Series Space Fortresses for his combined fortress project. He also asked about Cybertron Planet’s Intelligent Robots, considering whether they could be combined with him, but recognized that their independent wills would make the process difficult.

• Milena decided to accompany Saine to the City of Steel and revealed that she also wanted to order a Space Fortress for the magical beast race.
• Saine and Milena met Level-5 mechanic Babbage, who handled Saine’s order for four Thunder God Series Space Fortresses and their planned modifications.
• Milena was surprised by Saine’s purchase of four fortresses, which would cost nearly one hundred million Magic Coins before modification fees.
• Saine asked Babbage whether the City of Steel had worked with the Intelligent Robots of Cybertron Planet, and Babbage explained that their earlier manufacturing collaboration had stalled.
• Saine considered combining the Intelligent Robots with himself through the Magic Cube, but noted that their independent wills could resist integration unlike the mindless Space Fortresses.